Sales/Distribution Organization in need of Financial Restructuring, Leadership Coaching, Team Building and Strategic Planning
Assessment Summary:
Revenues of this century old, family owned company, closely aligned with the construction industry, had plummeted over 40% since the last market peak. The Company was in default on multiple bank covenants due to significant operating losses in two of the last three years.
Two second generation family members shared equal ownership of the business. They had significantly contrasting behavioral styles, social skills, motivations and strengths/weaknesses. These differences led to dysfunction in their personal and organizational relationships. Because of their inability to work with each other, they each assumed a leadership role for separate segments of the business, resulting in disruptive silos and a lack of effective internal communication.
No leadership team or organizational goals were in place. Company morale was being adversely impacted by the ownership dysfunction and poor financial performance.
Guidance from their financial institution resulted in their engaging with See Change Management to address their financial and leadership/management/cultural challenges.
Evolution:
See Change Management’s engagement focused on:
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Implementing, within 60 days, a financial restructuring plan significantly enhancing profitability and cash flow
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Providing a leadership coaching curriculum directed at increasing emotional intelligence, identifying personal strengths/weaknesses, maximizing personal productivity, establishing business/family balance and formalizing personal/business goals for the upcoming year
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Engaging in weekly coaching sessions accelerating progress on established coaching curriculum goals and troubleshooting specific current leadership issues
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Developing a new organizational structure and creating a company leadership team to address the management needs of the organization
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Introducing a team building model detailing the trust, conflict, accountability, commitment and focus on results necessary for organizational success
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Preparing a quarterly bank reporting package and coaching the owners and key financial executives on the presentation of their financial information and progress on the restructuring plan to their financial institution
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Establishing an annual financial budgeting process providing for the needed financial discipline to meet future plan targets
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Facilitating the process of establishing a company mission, vision and values to drive organizational conduct
- Leading an organizational strategic planning process resulting in an assessment of the company’s operating environment, competitive forces, uniqueness, competitive advantage, value proposition, and relative strengths/weaknesses and formalizing the upcoming year’s key initiatives/goals and detailed action plans
Transformation:
As a result of the above evolutionary process:
- The Company’s financial restructuring resulted in the following first year performance:
| Year Preceding SCM | First Year SCM | |
| Sales | $46.8 | $41.3 |
| EBIT | $(1.0) | $0.8 |
| Debt Increase (Reduction) | $1.6* | $(3.2) |
| Fixed Charge Coverage | (0.4) | 2.3 |
| *before $1.4 reduction in cash reserves | ||
Year two results are on track to minimally double the first year’s EBIT performance and generate cash to further reduce currently acceptable debt levels
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As a result of the over $3.0 million cash generated in the first year of the restructuring, the Company ended the year in full compliance with its bank covenants. It has been restored to favorable status with its financial institution
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Periodic meetings with the financial institution have been instituted, increasing the confidence and understanding of the bank with the leadership team
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The ownership dysfunction has been dramatically reduced. While their personal relationship remains challenging, the owners are constructively working together to drive the performance of the organization to record levels
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A goal oriented leadership team is in place. General managers are developing the trust to work closely with each other to effectively address the important issues of organizational growth
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A new general manager with significant industry experience has been hired to lead a major segment. Other functional managers have been hired. Significant cultural change, leading to lower performing managers choosing to exit, is in process
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Segment strategies and goals are in place, with monthly accountability meetings being held to assess financial performance and provide for corrective action to meet original plan targets
See Change Management continues to be actively engaged as an advisor, coach, and facilitator to the owners and key members of the leadership team in addressing the financial/leadership/team/strategic issues of profitably growing the organization.
